Dusan Tadic torpedos Austria as Serbia earn vital win

Serbia 3 Austria 2: Dusan Tadic’s winner 16 minutes from full-time earned Serbia victory over Austria last night and handed them an early initiative in Ireland’s tense World Cup qualifying group.

Twice pegged back in Belgrade, the Serbs eventually ended a 13-match unbeaten run in qualification matches by the resolute Austrians thanks to an intervention by man-of-the-match Tadic.

Ireland will next face a wounded Austria in Vienna on November 11, the same day Serbia travel to Wales in another potentially pivotal encounter as the route to Russia takes flight.